A Socio-Onomastic Analysis of Nicknames in the Fulani Culture, Cameroon

This study investigates the sources of nicknames in the Fulani language, their
situational domain, their sociocultural relevance and their perceptions within
the Fulani context from the account of Leslie and Skipper’s (1991) socio-onomastic theory. Data were collected through participant observations and
semi-structured interviews from community members. The findings reveal that
Fulani nicknames have historical, social and cultural resonances. The identified
nicknames bear sociological, pragmatic and communicative functions that
match the Fulani people’s collective existence and shared experience. This
article helps us appreciate Fulani culture’s creativity and spans our knowledge
of ethnicity and social identity. The researcher recommends that other scholars
pursue research in other aspects of Fulani culture, and to revamp studies on
Cameroon’s native languages, which face extinction.

Key words: Fulani language, nicknames, perceptions, socio-onomastics,
sociocultural relevance